The mother of a transgender volleyball player is calling out California school officials, accusing them of ‘entertaining and welcoming harassment’ directed at her child after another school refused to play against her team.
AB Hernandez, a player for Jurupa Valley High School, was scheduled to face Riverside Poly High School’s girls’ volleyball team last Friday (August 15). But the game never happened.
They also reassured the public by adding: “We remain committed to providing a safe, positive environment for all student-athletes throughout the season.”
Parents later told Fox Digital that the real reason for the forfeit was AB Hernandez being on the roster. According to them, the girls themselves didn’t make the decision—it came from higher up.
Vickers referred to a 2022 case where a female volleyball player was permanently injured after being hit in the head by a spike from a trans athlete, using that as justification for her comments.
AB Hernandez’s mother makes impassioned statement
Following the forfeit and Vickers’ remarks, parents filled a Riverside Unified School District board meeting on Thursday (August 21) to voice their thoughts.
Some defended their children for refusing to play, while others criticized the district’s stance on gender inclusion in sports. According to the New York Post, the meeting quickly became heated.
She also blasted Vickers for fueling harassment by publicly speaking about her child in an interview with Fox News Digital.
She continued by adding: “My daughter is not the problem. The problem is coordinated external efforts often led by individuals that travel from district to district … to spread fear and put parents against each other using religion as a shield for discrimination.”
Closing her remarks, she said: “This has nothing to do with fairness in sports and everything to do with erasing transgender children.”
AB Hernandez has previously made national headlines
The Riverside Poly boycott isn’t the first time AB has been targeted. Earlier this year, during a track meet at Yorba Linda High School in May, she was heckled repeatedly by around 30 adults — including three school board members — according to Capital and Main.
The loud heckling reportedly disrupted the event and even caused a false start in one of the races, further highlighting the hostile environment she has been competing in.
She also added: “I’m still a child, you’re an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person.”
Donald Trump sends reminder to California schools
President Donald Trump, 79, also waded into the debate. Posting on his Truth Social account, he made a direct reference to the California controversy.
On Thursday, he wrote: “Any California school district that doesn’t adhere to our Transgender policies, will not be funded. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump has been outspoken against transgender inclusion in sports. In July, he sued both the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), claiming their policy of allowing trans athletes to compete violates federal law.
It also stated: “It shall also be the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women’s sports more broadly, as a matter of safety, fairness, dignity, and truth.”
When signing it, Trump claimed that ‘the war on women’s sports is over’.